The late morning sun beat down on the cracked courtyard, but the heat wasn't what made the air feel heavy.
Yurei's body began emitting a heavy pink aura—dense, crackling, ready to flare into life at a second's notice. The energy pulsed around her like a second skin, warping the air and casting pink highlights across the faces of the watching soldiers.
Beatrice stared directly back at her. Her own aura was weaker—noticeably so—but that didn't make her back down. Her feet remained planted. Her chin stayed raised. The purple and black streaks in her hair seemed to glow in the reflected light.
"For a two-and-a-half-star soldier," Yurei said coldly, "you're certainly cocky."
"Wanna put your hands where your mouth is, Princess?"
Yurei is usually so composed and calm, Hiro thought, watching the exchange from a few paces back. These guys must really set her off.
"Cool your jets ladies."
Marian stepped between the two battle-ready women, arms spread wide like a referee. Her presence alone seemed to dampen the tension—slightly.
"Hmm." Beatrice clicked her tongue. "You're lucky we respect Big Sis so much."
"Yeah, right." Yurei's eyes didn't waver. "As if you could beat me in the first place."
Literal sparks began flying between them—pink and crimson, crackling in the air like miniature lightning bolts. The soldiers nearest the exchange took a step back.
"Wait." Beatrice held up a hand. "How about another Princess wage battle?"
"You already used your right to challenge me," Yurei said, her voice flat. "So why would I agree to something where I have nothing to gain?"
Hiro moved beside Marian and lowered his voice. "Hey, Mari. What's a Princess wage battle?"
"Unit captains under a certain princess can challenge her for their position," Marian explained, her eyes still on the standoff. "It's one of the quickest ways to become a princess."
"The right to challenge only works once," Marian added from behind them. "After that, it's up to the princess to accept or not."
Hiro glanced at Beatrice's hostile posture. "So seeing how Beatrice is acting and Yurei is still a princess… she must have challenged her before. And lost."
"Correct."
"How about this, Princess?" Beatrice's smirk returned, wider this time. "If you win, I will offer full cooperation on this inspection thing. Heck, I wouldn't even complain." She paused, letting the silence stretch. "But if I win… you know what I want, right?"
She tilted her head.
"So what do you say?"
Yurei's eyes flicked to Hiro—just the corner of her eye, brief and unreadable. Then she looked back at Beatrice.
"I accept."
This bitch fell for it, Beatrice thought, grinning inwardly.
"But first," Marian interrupted, "let us settle in. We just traveled here, and I want to relax before dealing with… this."
"Of course, Big Sis." Beatrice snapped her fingers. "Felicia, Ramona —please help Big Sis and the Princess get settled."
She glanced at Scott.
"Scott, show the slave the way to the slave quarters."
"Hiro stays with us," Yurei said, her voice brooking no argument. Not a request. A statement of fact.
Beatrice's eyes narrowed. She studied Yurei for a long moment—the princess's unwavering posture, the hand resting casually on Longinus, the complete lack of fear.
Then she sighed.
"Fine. Do whatever you want."
Two of the three women behind Beatrice stepped forward, alongside two of the men. Their voices were loud, almost enthusiastic.
"Yes, Boss!"
The two men—clearly beast slaves—quickly grabbed the luggage from the jeep and carried it toward the base. The two women moved to the front of the group, their postures suddenly professional.
"Please follow us," they said in unison, their tones eerily identical. Hospital-polite. Rehearsed.
The group followed them inside.
---
After the doors closed behind them, the remaining woman approached Beatrice. She had shiny brown hair,a cute doll face and bright green eyes which were dulled by the tattoos on her face.
"I see your plan is working." She said.
"Of course it is." Beatrice crossed her arms, a smug smile plastered across her face. "I'm a genius, after all."
"Actually," Scott said, stepping out from behind her and adjusting his glasses, "it is my plan."
"Shut it, Scott." Beatrice's voice was sharp, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Nobody asked you."
The other woman—Sally—tilted her head. "But how are you going to win? She's a princess. You lost last time."
"Relax, Sally." Beatrice's eyes glinted with something dark. "As my vice captain, you should know that I plan for everything."
"You mean I plan for everything," Scott muttered.
"Shut it, Scott!"
---
Back inside, the group walked through dimly lit corridors. Hiro was immediately struck by how different this place felt from their own base.
"This place is so different," he muttered.
Unlike the 13th Royal Unit's clean, traditional Japanese aesthetic, this base had a suspicious back-alley theme. Dim lights flickered overhead, casting long shadows that danced across graffiti-covered walls. Some of the graffiti was artistic—vivid murals of beasts and battles. Others were crude—insults, threats, territorial markers. The air smelled of cigarette smoke and cheap perfume.
Hiro half-expected to get mugged by a group of women lurking around the corner.
One of the girls—Felicia—glanced back at him. "Of course it's different. We remodeled this entire place to feel right at home."
"By 'home,' you mean prison," Yurei said dryly.
"Come on, Cap." Marian grinned. "We all have different homes."
"Yeah, kinda," the other girl—Ramona —admitted.
Marian studied them both. "Hmm. I never saw you two the last time we were here. Are you guys new?"
"Yeah, we're new." Felicia gestured to herself—black hair, sharp features, confident posture. "I'm Felicia. And this is Ramona ."
"We're part of the main unit force."
"The two carrying your luggage are our beast slaves—Winston and Stanley."
From behind them, the two men made small groaning sounds as they hauled the luggage down the corridor. Neither complained aloud, but their expressions spoke volumes.
"Just wanted to say," Ramona beamed, "it's such a pleasure to officially meet a princess."
"Relax." Yurei's voice was nonchalant. "I'm not that impressive compared to other princesses."
"But still—a princess is a princess."
"Whatever you say."
---
A few moments later, the group arrived at the guest room.
The four escorts bowed.
"If you need anything, just call."
Then they left, their footsteps fading down the corridor.
The door clicked shut.
Yurei stood in the center of the room, her arms crossed. Her expression was troubled—more troubled than Hiro had expected.
"This inspection is going to be difficult," she said quietly.
"Wait, why?!" Hiro asked. "Beatrice agreed to cooperate if you win—"
"Not because of her." Yurei's eyes met his. "Those two. Felicia and Ramona ."
"What about them?"
"They reek of enhancers."